This past weekend, I had the privilege of wrapping up our sermon series on Noah, focusing on Genesis 8:20-9:7. Throughout this series, we’ve explored how our sinful hearts grieve God, how our sin deserves His wrath, and how, despite our sin, God provides great salvation. This final sermon delved into God’s covenant with Noah and how it symbolizes His promise of renewal. The big idea is that God will bring a renewal of all things, and we have a role to play in that process.
1. Noah’s Pure Sacrifice
Read Genesis 8:20-9:7. In this text, we see that Noah’s first act after the flood was to build an altar and offer burnt offerings to God. Stepping into a barren, desolate world, Noah’s response was one of worship. Unlike previous times, Noah was not instructed by God to offer this sacrifice. This act was entirely voluntary, reflecting Noah’s gratitude for being saved. His sacrifice was pure, offered completely to God without holding anything back for himself.
This moment highlights an essential aspect of worship. Worship should be a natural response to God’s salvation, a reflection of our gratitude. Noah’s pure sacrifice sets an example for us: our worship should be wholehearted and uninhibited by our past failures or present circumstances. Even though Noah was not sinless, his act of worship was pure and pleasing to God. This reminds us that worship is not about our perfection but about our response to God’s grace.
2. God’s Gracious Promise
In response to Noah’s sacrifice, God made a covenant, a gracious promise extending to all creation. This covenant was universal, encompassing every living creature; unilateral, as God alone established it; and unconditional, remaining steadfast regardless of humanity’s actions. God promised never to destroy every living creature again and declared that the cycles of nature would continue as long as the earth remains.
Despite humanity’s ongoing sinfulness, God’s grace abounds. The rainbow serves as a reminder of His promise and protection. Instead of a daily deluge of judgment, we receive grace upon grace through Jesus Christ. This covenant underscores God’s mercy and foreshadows the ultimate renewal and restoration that will come through Christ.
3. Our Grand Purpose
After the flood, God reiterated to Noah the command given to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” This re-creative command signifies that, despite changing circumstances, God’s purposes remain constant. Our grand purpose is to image God in the world, filling the earth with His glory.
Fulfilling this purpose involves both physical and spiritual dimensions. Physically, it includes having children and nurturing them in the faith. Spiritually, it involves bearing the fruit of the Spirit and making disciples. By gathering for worship, forming groups for mutual edification, giving sacrificially, and going to our neighbors and the nations, we participate in God’s grand purpose of filling the earth with His glory.
Application: Be Renewed and Bring Renewal
The renewal God promises encompasses all of creation, and He invites us to be part of this renewal process. We are called to be renewed in our own lives through worship, obedience, and living out our faith. As we experience personal renewal, we are also called to bring renewal to others by sharing the gospel, serving our communities, and living out the values of the kingdom of God.
Reflecting on Noah’s pure sacrifice, God’s gracious promise, and our grand purpose, let us commit to being agents of renewal in a world that desperately needs hope and restoration. God will bring a renewal of all things, and we have the privilege and responsibility to be part of His transformative work. Let’s embrace this calling with joy and dedication, knowing that our efforts contribute to God’s ultimate plan for creation.
-Randy Titus, Executive Pastor of Worship Services
Watch the full sermon below:
Additional Resources
Bible Project: Covenants
Watch this video that explains the covenants in the Bible.
